How to measure your horse, pony or donkey for a rug

With the arrival of the cold weather, purchasing a high-quality horse rug should be a top priority for all horse owners.

When horse rugs are fitted correctly they not only keep your horse, pony or donkey cosy, but they also prevent discomfort, unnecessary rubbing and protection from insects and the weather.

We take the comfort of your horse very seriously which is why we offer a wide variety of the best quality horse rugs. There are options for lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight rugs for horses, Shetlands and donkeys so you’re set for any type of weather.

It’s therefore essential to get the right sized horse rug for your animal to feel comfortable and safe. But if you’re not sure what size your horse needs, it can be confusing. 

That’s why we’ve created this blog as a guide to measuring your horse. We will run through how to choose the correct size by measuring your horse, pony or donkey to ensure a perfectly fitting rug.

Choosing Your Size

Making sure you get the correct size for your horse rug is key to make sure your horse is comfortable – a rug that doesn’t fit will cause uncomfortable rubbing.

Before purchasing a rug, if you have not measured your horse, pony, donkey it is worthwhile doing so to ensure you get the correct size. This way you can save on returns and your animal won’t feel awkward rubbing.

Measuring Your Horse

So, how do you measure your horse? Start by placing the tape measure at the middle of the chest, go round the shoulders and straight along the side of the horse to the back leg where you expect the back edge of the rug to finish. This should be approximately in line with the top of the tail.

If your horse is nervy, you can use baler twine or similar and then put it against a tape measure away from the horse.

The next step is to measure in inches and divide by 12 to give you the feet/inches, this is the rug size of your horse. Statistically most will fall between sizes, so if yours does we recommend going up to the next size rather than down as you can lose an inch or two at the chest.

Our Heavy Horse Range

Some horses, heavier types, require a different cut of rug to accommodate their broad chest and shoulders. These rugs are in our heavy horse range.

The heavy horse range has more inches at the chest/shoulder when compared to the usual horse range. For example, a 6’9 rug in either range will measure 81” (allow up to ½-1” either way within our tolerance range) but for the heavy horse range there will be more inches at the chest and shoulder and less along the side.

The heavy horse range is also deeper down the sides of the horse to allow for their broader build.

Fitting Your Horse Rug

When you receive the rug, we recommend trying it on your horse. Before doing this, make sure that your horse is clean or that you try it on over a sheet in case you need to exchange the product.

Don’t remove the tag labels and keep the zipped rug bag that the rug came in case you need to return it.

To ensure the rug is a good fit we recommend that you do up the chest straps, surcingle straps and leg straps and adjust them to the correct fit for your horse.  Once this is done, we would encourage you to do the following to test the fit:

• Once on the horse, check that there is still at least one hole either way on the chest straps in case of weight gain/loss.
• Check that there is still adjustment left in the surcingle straps in case of weight gain/loss or if you choose to put an extra rug underneath at any time.
• Ensure that the leg straps are not too long or short.
• The rug should not be too deep down the sides. If it is too deep, it could damage the rug when rolling by getting caught. We recommend that the rug is deep enough to ensure that the belly is protected.
• When all the adjustments are done check that the top of the tail flap (if fitted) is in line with the top of the tail. If it’s more than 1.5-2 inches below the dock then it’s likely that the rug is too big. If there is not a tail flap fitted, the rug should finish at the top of the tail.
• With the rug on, encourage the horse to put its muzzle to the ground (ie to the grazing position) and once in that position check that the rug is not too tight at the chest. Also check that the top of the tail flap is still at the top of the dock and hasn’t pulled forward. If no tail flap is fitted, then ensure the rug is still finishing at the top of the tail.
• If the rug is a combo (fixed neck) then check that the neck does not come over the ears when the horse is in the grazing position. Also check that it is not too tight.
• If your purchase is a standard rug with a detachable neck, ensure that in the grazing position the neck doesn’t go over the ears and not too tight.

If you are happy with the fit, then the last thing we’d recommend is taking your horse for a walk. Walk them in a straight line and then in a tight circle in both directions to ensure that the rug is a good fit on the shoulders. Make sure that it doesn’t slip backwards or to the side.

Shop Horse Rugs For All Weather Conditions

If you are happy with the fit of the rug, then remove the tag labels and the plastic tags at the shoulder pleats. We recommend storing the rug in the zipped bag provided when not in use to make sure that it’s thoroughly dry first to prevent mould.

Hopefully you feel more at ease with picking the right size for your horse rug, but if you need further help feel free to contact us directly. Or simply head to our website to buy your horse rug today!